This blog was originally for a walking and hitch-hiking trip down the east coast of Taiwan, but that's over, and this is no longer a literal walk anymore. I'm back in the U.S. and taking a figurative walk in Colorado. Posts about Taiwan are toward the end. Hope ya dig it. Thanks for stopping by.

Friday, January 9, 2009

The Wild West

As an intern, I get to do occasional tasks like drive a consultant to the local airport. Obviously, I jumped at the chance to drive the company car an hour and a half West, drop off the dude, and get a meal out of the deal.

Not only that, I get to see the American West. Things are big here. Things are wide. I, unfortunately, do not have any pictures to share with you about these big and wide expanses. The plan was to drop the guy off, grab a quick bite, and head back so I could photograph the Western Slope of the Rockies to show all ya'll back at home. Dinner took too long, but it's cool, because I got to hang out in Grand Junction, Co. for a little bit and eat Nepalese food.

It's interesting out here. I drove across BLM land [that's Bureau of Land Management. We don't hear much about BLM "back east." Speaking of which, I didn't realize people out here use the phrase "back east" even if they aren't from the East Coast. They're referring to their ancestors that made the great trek to the Wild West. Anyways, I feel like I'm taking advantage of these brackets now, so I'll stop typing within this bracket, but the transition to the latter part of this sentence will be weird, because I've taken you, dear reader, on a wild literary excursion in the confines of these damn brackets!] and Forest Service land between Paonia and Grand Junction.

On my way back, there was a huge accident that stopped the two-lane traffic for a while. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but it involved an 18-wheeler carrying lots of timber. Well, that's just another one of those moments that you let pass by in your life. I threw on the radio and seeked out the local NPR station and the voice of Meeee-chelle Norris brought me right back to D.C., except this time I was listening from the middle of nowhere, it seems.

Fun picture of my last few hours in MD. Really, it's just to break up the text and keep you reading!

There's a lot of things going on in D.C. There's also a lot going on out here too. For example, I kept looking for a place to pull off the road so I could enjoy a serene few minutes to myself without traveling at 75 mph. So, I pulled onto a road I saw, and the sign said "Hidden Springs Rd." It was dark, and it was private property, so I didn't explore the "spring," but I hung out there and I could hear only two things: the wind howling and a cow moo-ing. How wonderful. There's a lot going on out here in a different sense. That cow is consuming thousands and thousands of gallons of water in the form of liquid, grass, corn, and probably other things to sit dead on your dinner table for your consumption in D.C. It's the development of a lifetime... sitting dead... on your dinner table... for your consumption in D.C. I'm no vegetarian, but in a land of little freshwater, we should all be a little conscious of what we eat.

I switched radio stations and heard all kinds of religious radio. Something about daughters baking a cake and the cake collapsing like a sinkhole in the center, and that's why you should choose Jesus Christ as your lord and savior. Another preached knowledgism [Is that even a word? Is this even the correct usage of brackets?] as the wrong path. What in the world? Who is listening to this stuff? Was this preacher advocating accepting Jesus without knowledge of anything else?

Anyways.... I'd say it's pretty busy out here. The cows, the wind, etc.... You can't hurry, though. So far, the pace of life has been a little slower, of course. I walk to work; it's maybe a 10-minute walk. It's wonderful. Snow has been falling many mornings, and it's just such a breath of fresh air. But you really can't hurry. Physically, you can't hurry, or else you might slip and fall and crack your head open.

Last night, I went to the local brewery with some co-workers. They're based in a former Episcopalian church. Revolution Brewery is their name, and they taste great. I'm getting used to the habit of introducing myself to everyone, because it's a small town, and I think it'd be great to know everyone.

A few nights prior, I went to another local bar alone, and I met some of the guys there. After drinking a little, the ol' guitar made an appearance in one of the guy's hands. He sang a few memorable tunes of Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. And then I sang a few tunes. Folk songs just seem to make sense here.

Is this blog entry getting too long? Yes. Am I struggling for a way to end it? Yes.

3 Comments:

Jeff Chan--you the man. Sounds like good times. I went to Estes Park, CO for a wedding in the summer. It was a cool place. I like the fact that everywhere you go is judged by the elevation. It doesn't take long until you have a mental log of what elevations you've been to.